Winemaker Notes
Blend: 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot, 1.7% Cabernet Franc, 0.3% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Jackson Estate Series is a small cuvée of 7,000 cases and a really impressive wine. The mountain vineyards seem to dominate the wine’s character, with moderately high but sweet tannin, briary blackberry and cassis fruit, and a crushed rock minerality present. The final blend was 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest the other Bordeaux varietals. This wine was about ready to go into the bottle right after I tasted it. Range: 91-94
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Nearly a northern extension of Napa Valley, Alexander Valley starts just north of the small, Knights Valley, and is just a few minutes drive from the Napa town of Calistoga. It is Sonoma County’s hottest AVA. But the Russian River, which runs through the valley, creates cooler pockets and its soft, alluvial soil is ideal for grape growing, especially Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, some believe that Alexander Valley Cabernets truly rival the best from Napa Valley and many of the heavy-hitter producers have largely invested here.
In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes up over 50% of plantings, Merlot and old vine Zinfandel thrive here. Ample, fleshy Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc dominate white wine production. Some old-vine plantings of Grenache have also been discovered and more recent experiments with Sangiovese and Barbera show great promise.